Sam Bee

Now this is an interesting question, as I know a certain member of Flyertalk was previously partly responsible for QR putting the All Business Class A319 on the LHR route.

Basically, USM is restricted to small aircraft, and currently only PG's A319, AT72 and TG's 737-400's fly there (and a couple of other airlines like Firefly).

Obviously USM is owned by PG, but QR have an agreement with them. The longest flight out of USM is to HKG (3:30).

BUT QR have this solitary A319LR in all J class, and one in mixed class that holds 110. DOH-USM would be just under 7hr, and USM-DOH 6:30hr.

Back of fag packet maths:

3,356 miles from Great Circle Mapper from DOH-USM. A319LR range is 3,698 (nautical) miles (source: internet).

Only thing I can't find out is if USM runway is long enough for a fully tanked up 319LR?

BUT - this would be an incredible route as a) it's premium traffic heavy b) poor international connections - i.e. from UK only LHR and MAN has single change options to USM c) people pay a premium to fly to USM in all classes (mainly due PG's restrictions) and d) EK / EY / WY can't operate it as don't have the aircraft e) with BKK/KBV/HKT QR already has the best non-Asian carrier route network to Thailand - and CNX & USM could really ratchet that up

So, any reason why this route wouldn't work?

dnadna

The slot at USM is not available for another airlines except PG. hahaha

NoY

Really? Datapoints? I’d be somewhat surprised.....

EzzerBKK

I would tend to agree that USM is a very good route for any of the M.E. airlines knowing the number of premium pax on the BKK flights and seeing those pax that typically transits in BKK.

However - having flown in and out of USM countless times on the PG and TG jets, the heavy breaking action each time and then observing the end of the runway turnaround point soon after that would lead me to believe that this runway would not work for the 319LR fully loaded. There is also almost no run-off at the end of each ends of the runway. Its a very tricky and limited, land locked runway where I've been through a few rejected landings (luckily not RTO!).

Shame they cancelled CNX....

mrvincent

I thought USM was owned by PG which, if this is the case, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be so happy about fewer passengers transiting in BKK.

That said, I remember choice being much more limited when I first used USM around 15 years ago.

EzzerBKK

Yes it is owned by PG. However they are often full to the brim weeks in advance and I doubt they have much more capacity (fleet wise) to add even more flights BKK-USM.

Landing fee vs Pax fees - nice dilemma if we can get it to happen!

ph-ndr

A Google search turned up this one:

http://www.aisthai.aviation.go.th/we...ol2-CHART/VTSM[10].pdf

Page 3 indicates that the shortest alternative is a souternly takeoff, leaving you 1860 meter for takeoff.

A bit more use of Google Consulting found this:

Airbus A319 -100 Takeoff : 1950m, Landing : 1450m
6,800km with 124 pax

Which leaves about 1.400km margin on USM-DOH.

So depending on the weight of the interior of an all-biz version this may be marginally doable, as long as you can get the met office to agree to only let the wind blow directly from the south or north and not turn westerly or easterly.

The main question that remains is why someone would want to go to USM these days, but that's probably a different thread.

-A

mrvincent

I must have turned up at BKK 5-6 times and been able to get on the next PG flight. Although it has been a few years since I was last there (and was only ever to get to Ko Pha Ngan) - have things gone downhill?

ph-ndr

It's basically high density tourism, I prefer one of my african destinations where the neighbouring village is 200km across the savannah.

-A

Dr. HFH

Remember, however, that unlike the way things work in the west (U.S., for example), you cannot buy a ticket at what we would normally refer to as the ticket counter. You must walk to a separate ticketing office, take a number, wait in line, buy your ticket, then go back to the "ticket" counter where you check in.